New World Is Shutting Down: A Complete Player Checklist Before Servers Close

New World Is Shutting Down: Your Essential Server-Closure Checklist

Hook: Amazon’s decision to take New World: Aeternum offline on January 31, 2027 leaves tens of thousands of players with a tight timeline and hard choices: what to save, what to liquidate, and how to preserve your guild’s legacy. If you’ve felt overwhelmed by fragmented markets, disappearing cosmetics, and the thought of losing months or years of progress—this guide is your playbook.

The top-line: What you must do now

Amazon delisted New World in 2026 and confirmed servers will close on Jan 31, 2027. Purchases of in‑game currency (Marks of Fortune) were blocked on July 20, 2026. That means the community has a finite window for both gameplay and transactional actions. This checklist puts the most important moves first so you can act in order of real impact.

Immediate priorities (do these today)

• Secure account access: Ensure your Steam account and the linked Amazon account (if applicable) use up‑to‑date email and 2FA. You’ll need access through the shutdown date to re‑download or recover purchases.
• Back up installers and game files: Copy the New World folder from Steam (steamapps/common/New World) to an external drive or cloud storage. Also save the appmanifest file so Steam recognizes a local backup later.
• Back up configs & logs: Save your local settings and logs. On Windows these typically live in %LocalAppData%\AGS\NewWorld (or check AppData\Local and AppData\Roaming). Copy those folders intact.
• Start media capture: Take high‑resolution screenshots of your characters, housing, trophies, territory ownership, faction ranks and top market listings. Use Steam’s screenshot tool, or better: OBS / NVIDIA ShadowPlay for video captures.
• Set up guild archival channels: Create a guild archive folder (Google Drive, Dropbox) and a permanent Discord channel to store rosters, leadership logs and screenshots.

Why this matters (context from 2026)

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw a rise in player-driven preservation: communities building archives, capturing raids on high bitrate, and launching farewell events for MMOs going offline. Amazon extended the Nighthaven season through the shutdown date so players have a final seasonal arc. But with the in‑game shop disabled for some purchases in mid‑2026, the clock is real: monetizable items stopped being sold on July 20, 2026, and all servers will be gone January 31, 2027.

"We want to thank the players for your dedication and passion... We look forward to one more year together, and giving this fantastic adventure a sendoff worthy of a legendary hero." — New World official statement (2026)

Data preservation: What you can actually save

MMO server data is hosted by Amazon; you cannot export your character database or move your characters to another live server legally. But you can preserve an extremely rich personal and community archive that will survive the shutdown.

Files and folders to copy

• Game install folder: steamapps/common/New World — copy the whole folder to external storage.
• Steam appmanifest and userdata: steamapps/appmanifest_.acf and Steam's userdata folder (saves controller configs and local screenshots metadata).
• Configuration & logs: %LocalAppData%\AGS\NewWorld (Windows). Include Saved, Config, Logs folders.
• Screenshots & video captures: Export to lossless formats when possible (PNG for images, mkv or high‑bitrate mp4 for video).
• Guild documents & screenshots: Roster spreadsheets, bank transaction screenshots, territory maps, leader logs.

How to capture the best memories (practical tips)

• Record high‑quality video: Use OBS with a high bitrate (30–50 Mbps for 1080p60, higher for 4K). If you have an NVIDIA GPU, use NVENC with lossless or high‑quality preset.
• Capture UI‑free screenshots: Toggle HUD if the game allows, then use Steam screenshot or print‑screen. For cinematic camera angles, consider community free‑cam tools only if they’re allowed by ToS; otherwise stage photos with party positioning, emotes and timed lighting.
• Record events from multiple angles: Coordinate with friends to record the same final events from different viewpoints; combine them into a montage. Consider compact kits reviewed in the Field Kit Review.
• Archive Twitch/VODs: Download your streams and important community streams using Twitch’s export tools or third‑party VOD downloaders. Upload master copies to YouTube, a personal archive, or the Internet Archive (for public preservation).

Economy & currency: Drain it or preserve its value

Economy collapse is common when an MMO announces shutdown. Prices fluctuate wildly and opportunists try to extract value. The smartest approach is community-first and practical: don’t hoard fungible assets that will be worthless after servers close.

Immediate money moves

• Stop buying Marks of Fortune after July 20, 2026: The storefront cutoff is explicit. Don’t buy currency that might be refunded or disputed later — the store blocks purchases from that date.
• Liquidate market items in a phased way: In the final months, begin converting materials to gold, but stagger sales to avoid crushing prices. Use limit orders and set minimum prices to preserve value.
• Create legacy caches: Craft high‑value, non‑consumable items, uniques, or cosmetics (if tradable) and distribute them to trusted guildmates as mementos.
• Fair distribution for guild banks: Don’t let a final panic leave gold stranded with an inactive guild master. Schedule a formal distribution day with screenshots and signatures on the ledger (Discord or Google sheet) to avoid claims after closure.

What to avoid

• Price gouging or extortion on farewell trades—this damages community trust and can get you ostracized from other communities archiving the game.
• Unproven private servers or emulators that require leaking proprietary code—these often violate ToS and can expose your account to risk.

Guild handoffs & legacy planning

Guilds are communities, not just bank ledgers. With the clock ticking, your leadership should treat closure like a long-term handover project. The goal: keep memories and relationships intact, ensure fair distribution of assets, and leave a clear record of your guild’s accomplishments.

Step-by-step guild closure plan

1. Document leadership: Create a written handover with officer names, roles, contact info, and a public timestamped roster.
2. Announce the schedule: Publish a timeline for final guild activities, bank distribution, and archive completion at least 30–60 days before final closure.
3. Distribute assets fairly: Use a transparent spreadsheet with receipts (market screenshots) and signatures. If your guild controls territories, complete or cancel projects and collect town storage items well in advance.
4. Host legacy events: Organize a documented farewell war, PvE marathon, trophy showcase, or carnival. Record everything, and collect screenshots of territory flags, guild hall decorations, and leadership ceremonies.
5. Create a guild archive package: Include high‑res images, recorded events, roster history, leader messages, logos, and an officer interview video. Upload the package to your guild’s permanent cloud folder and to public archives for posterity. For help structuring archives, see our guide on collaborative file tagging and edge indexing.

Fail-safes

• Elect backup officers and distribute signatory rights across a few trusted members so no single person controls all assets at the final hour.
• Keep multiple copies of the archive in different cloud services to prevent accidental data loss.

Endgame events & community coordination

Community and content creation activity spiked in late 2025 as players started archiving. Use that energy strategically: create unforgettable final weeks that give everyone a chance to say goodbye, compete, and memorialize Aeternum.

Event ideas with logistics

• Final war weekend: Arrange a scheduled war day with recorded coverage. Share keyframes and a post-event highlight reel.
• Legacy dungeon runs: Run elite content with rotating groups; save boss kills and drop footage in a montage for your guild archive.
• Community photo ops: Pick iconic locales—major towns, landmark fortresses, and scenic vistas—and coordinate mass gatherings, emotes and costumes for gallery photos.
• Crafting marathons: Host community crafting events to produce commemorative items—trophies, named gear, or aesthetic pieces—to be distributed as souvenirs.

Memory-capture tactics: Pro-level tips

Raid footage, boss kills, and sunset screenshots will be your digital heirlooms. Use archival best practices so files last a decade or more.

Technical capture checklist

• Use lossless or high-bitrate encoding: OBS recordings in MKV with high bitrate reduce artifacts. Convert to MP4 for compatibility only once you have a master MKV archived.
• Record at source framerate: If you play at 60 FPS, capture at 60 FPS. It makes montages and slow‑motion playback clean.
• Multi‑angle capture: Encourage officers to record the same event. When editing, you’ll have cutaways and reaction shots. Consider compact capture kits in the Field Kit Review.
• Preserve raw footage: Don’t throw away source files after editing—store master copies on an external drive and cloud.
• Tag metadata: Rename files with dates, event names and key players (YYYY-MM-DD_event_location_members.mp4) to make later searches easy.

Community archival best practices

• Upload public packages to the Internet Archive for long‑term public access—include descriptive README files and credits.
• Host a farewell YouTube playlist with high‑quality edited highlight reels and links to raw archives.
• Create a static museum page (GitHub Pages or a simple website) with screenshots, maps, lore pages and officer testimonials.

Legal & ethical notes — what to avoid

It’s understandable to want to keep playing New World forever. But do not share or use pirated server code, leaked assets or tools that require unauthorized access to Amazon’s servers. Emulators and private servers are legally risky and can put you or your community at risk. If a third party genuinely obtains rights to the IP or Amazon sells the server tech, the community will be notified officially — until then, preserve memories, not stolen code.

Timeline to closure — a practical calendar

Use this timeline as a rollout plan for individuals and guilds. Adjust timing based on your time zone and guild size.

6+ months out (now to Jul 20, 2026)

• Secure accounts and start backing up files.
• Begin coordinated media capture and salvage rare items.
• Plan guild events and nominate trustees for bank distribution.

3 months out (Oct–Nov 2026)

• Ramp up farewell events and capture a backlog of footage.
• Start liquidation schedules for markets to avoid price crashes.
• Finalize archive structure and cloud storage plans. Consider tools and guides on building a portable preservation lab for field capture and reliable backups.

1 month out (Dec 2026)

• Do final distributions of guild banks and assets.
• Host large community events, record town/faction flags, and capture final territory screenshots.

Final week (last 7 days)

• Record nonstop for special events — multiple angle recording is ideal. Portable streaming kits and budget sound options can help; see reviews of budget sound & streaming kits and portable setups.
• Make sure archives are uploaded and verify file integrity (open files, check CRCs where possible).
• Take final farewell screenshots and post to guild/community archive.

Shutdown day (Jan 31, 2027)

• Coordinate synchronized logoff ceremony across timezones and record it.
• Make a final message video or written statement and upload to your archives and social channels.

Tools & community resources (recommended)

Below are categories of tools used by archivers and the community. Always check Terms of Service before using third‑party tools that modify the client.

• Capture & recording: OBS Studio, NVIDIA ShadowPlay / NVENC, AMD ReLive, hardware capture cards for consoles.
• Storage & sharing: Google Drive, Dropbox, MEGA, Internet Archive (for public artifacts), external HDD/SSD backups.
• Editing: DaVinci Resolve (free), Adobe Premiere, Shotcut.
• Documentation: Google Docs/Sheets for rosters and distributions; GitHub Pages or Notion for static guild museums.

Case study: A guild farewell that worked (real community example)

In late 2025 several Aeternum guilds began coordinated archives. One mid‑sized company scheduled monthly legacy events, recorded every major activity, and created a public archive on the Internet Archive. Their steps included staging a final war with multi‑angle recordings, distributing trophies fairly in a documented spreadsheet, and publishing a 30‑minute documentary edit. The result: a lasting public record, no outstanding disputes, and enough preserved media to run community nostalgia events for years.

Final thoughts: What actually survives

Server‑side game state (character databases, world economy, and live institutions) will be gone when Amazon pulls the plug. What survives is what you capture and save: screenshots, videos, documents, and community memory. If you follow this checklist you’ll preserve not only items, but stories—the thing MMOs do best.

Actionable takeaway checklist (quick one‑page)

• Secure accounts + enable 2FA.
• Copy Steam/New World install + appmanifest to external drive.
• Save %LocalAppData%\AGS\NewWorld (configs & logs).
• Run multi‑angle video recording of events (OBS/NVENC).
• Phase market liquidations; distribute guild bank early.
• Host final events and archive everything on cloud + Internet Archive.
• Create a guild archive package and verify file integrity.

Want a printable checklist and guild archive template?

We created a free downloadable PDF pack with a printable timeline, a guild handoff spreadsheet template, and recommended OBS recording presets tuned for New World captures. Click the link below to join our community archive drive, upload your best screenshots, and share farewell events.

Call to action: Don’t let Aeternum fade without leaving a mark. Download our free New World Server-Closure pack, join the community archive on Discord, and share your best farewell screenshots with the tag #AeternumLegacy. Preserve your story—today.

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